FEI panel expands OGPe investigation to include DDEC deputy secretary Roberto Lefranc

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico’s Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (FEI) has broadened its ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities at the Permits Management Office (OGPe), now extending the scope to examine potential criminal liability involving Roberto Lefranc Fortuño, deputy secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC).

The expansion was approved in a resolution issued Thursday morning, responding to a request from independent prosecutors Fabiola Acarón Porrata‑Doria, Ileana Agudo Calderón, and Arcelio A. Maldonado Avilés II, who are leading the inquiry.

According to the panel, testimony gathered from witnesses indicates that additional investigative steps are necessary to determine whether Lefranc Fortuño engaged in conduct that may violate Puerto Rico’s criminal statutes. The prosecutors argued that the new line of inquiry is directly tied to the original mandate assigned to them.

Citing Article 11 of Law 2‑1988, which governs the FEI’s authority, the panel authorized the requested expansion, noting that the evidence presented falls within the parameters of the existing investigation.

The FEI emphasized that, because the matter remains under active investigation by the assigned prosecutors, it will not issue further public statements at this time.

As scrutiny intensifies around OGPe and related agencies, the case continues to unfold amid broader concerns about government integrity and oversight in Puerto Rico’s permitting and economic development sectors.